Office of the Historian

711.62114 Sick/573a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Spain (Hayes)

Washington, May 13, 1944.

1341. Your 1619, May 10.31 Gripsholm left New York May 2 with following categories of persons aboard:32

  • 195 German Prisoners of War from United States
  • 211 German Prisoners of War from Canada
  • 90 German civilians
  • Total 496.

The group of 90 German civilians is composed of the following individuals:

  • 60 German nationals from United States to be exchanged against 60 nationals of the United States and the other American republics.
  • 6 German nationals from Haiti to be exchanged against 6 Haitians.
  • 21 German nationals being transported at the request of the British Government for exchange at Barcelona against 21 British nationals.
  • 3 German nationals, Probst, Hohenberger and Schmidt33 for whom this Government is to receive quid pro quo. Hohenberger is being exchanged against Louise Davies Louis, Probst against a United States national yet to be named and Schmidt against a national of one of the Central American republics yet to be named.

There will be embarked at Algiers:

  • 144 German Prisoners of War held by the American Armed Forces.
  • 164 German Prisoners of War held by the British Armed Forces.
  • 82 German Prisoners of War held by the French Armed Forces.
  • Total 390. Grand total of 886 persons to be exchanged at Barcelona.

If information is received from Algiers of any change in number to be embarked Department will inform you.

It is understood that British will receive 812 or more repatriated Prisoners of War. No satisfactory statement has yet been received from Germans regarding United States Prisoners of War to be repatriated.

Spanish Government should be notified that exchange of civilians, unlike exchange of prisoners of war, is on a strictly numerical basis.

Repeat to Barcelona for Smith on Gripsholm.

Hull
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. On its return voyage the exchange vessel sailed from Barcelona on May 19, 4:30 p.m., and docked at Jersey City, N. J., on June 6. For additional data concerning the exchange of American and German nationals, see Department of State Bulletin, June 10, 1944, p. 535.↩
  3. Walter Probst, Therese Hoehenberger, and Elizabeth Schmidt.↩